Pandora. The waste planet in the universe that contains psychos, bandits, killer animals, and most recently war. War has consumed Pandora. Atlas and Hyperion are working together to try and take the planet as their own. What fight against them you may ask? Rebels, warriors, and especially Vault Hunters. By now you're wondering who the Vault Hunters and people alike are trying so desperately to kill. Why me of course. I want to claim Pandora as my own. I have already claimed Atlas and Hyperion. It won't be long till I have Pandora, but a group of Vault Hunters are trying a new tactic to try and defeat me. They're trying to find a Vault in hopes it would lead to my downfall. The idiots. To punish them I trapped inside the Vault. Even after this they are still trying to fight. They're trying to break out of the Vault. I'm just itching for them to come back. Pandora has changed so much. I can't wait to see the expression on your faces. The thing I can't wait for is the war they will bring. Blood will be split, violence will ensue, and death. Oh, there will be a lot of death. Yes, I have been in a lot of war, but this will be A War For The Ages.
Disclaimer: I do not own borderlands. I own my original characters, my origin for some characters, and origins for Pandora. This story contains blood, gore, violence, and a grim and dark AU. Viewer discretion is advised.
There was a storm. A storm was raging inside the Vault. It wasn't like a lightning storm or thunder storm. More like both combined with the winds of a hurricane. The winds were furious. Having speeds that could topple a person over if they weren't careful. The pitch-black clouds in the sky spun and twisted around each other like raging waves. The clouds would have put the Vault in total darkness if it weren't for the purple that slightly pierced through the clouds. It gave the Vault a purple lighting. Purple lighting would dance across the sky, momentarily lighting up the Vault, but only for a second.
The four figures kept their heads down as they pushed through the storm. They kept their heads down as they walked. The wind pulling and tugging at their hair, as if threatening to pull it out. They carried guns, either on their waists, in hand or in a sleeve. One carried a lethal black sword. It seemed like they were walking forever. Nothing was there besides the storm and all it brought.
Then there was a light. It was hard to see through the storm. As they got closer to the speck of light it grew. Becoming more and more visible. Soon it became a beacon of light in the chaotic darkness. Hope began to fill their hearts as they saw the ever-growing light. It was something they needed to keep pushing through the horrors. One out of the two feminine figures looked. It was the taller and bigger one.
"Does everyone see that light?" Her words seemed to be swallowed up by the storm. Regardless they all gave small nods.
"Do you think that could be are way out?" The buffer male cried turning to face the feminine figure.
"It has to be. I don't see anything else besides darkness." She then turned to face the smaller feminine figure. "Go towards the light. It might be our way out of this hellhole" she yelled. The smaller figure nodded pushing forward. So, this was it. Finally, there journey through the storm was ending. Soon, the hellish adventure would be nothing, but a nightmare.
CRACK!
A loud crack sound boomed from the heavens. Not the sound of thunder or lighting. More like a sound that was greater and seemed to drown out every other sound and carry a sharpness to it. They all looked up to see a circular opening in the clouds. In the opening was light. This light, light gold and getting bigger rather quickly than the last one. They looked upon it in horror. This light was the opposite of the other one. The white light was a signal of hope, showing them a way to safety and security. The golden light was feared. This signaled death and showed that the end was near.
"He's coming!" the buffer male cried pointing at the sky.
"Everyone go towards the light now!" the taller women bellowed. They all began to run as fast as they could towards the light. All, but one. The female stayed. She was glaring at the glowing light, which was gradually lighting up the Vault. The smaller female turned around, noticing that the other women wasn't following.
"Come on we don't have all day." She yelled running over to her older companion. She grabbed her friends arm trying to pull her forward. She didn't budge. The smaller girl stopped pulling, looking up to the older women. "Why aren't you moving?" the girl asked her voice one of worry. The women looked down at her. Her eyes looked sad.
"I'm not coming" she stated simply. The girl's eyes widened. The two males stopped and turned to face their female companions.
"What is taking you so long?" the buffer male screamed, he began walking over. The girl looked at the women horrified.
"What? Why?" she cried wanting an explanation.
"Because I'm going to stall him so, you can live to see another day." the women explained.
"But he'll kill you. You know that" she began to cry, her tears getting swept up by the wind "and you're the only family I have left. My parents are dead and you are my aunt. Without you I will be alone" she sobbed, not wanting her family to go away.
"Teresa!" the women bellowed as if she best the wind at making sound. She crouched down, putting her hands-on Teresa's shoulders. By now the light was close enough to light the area of the Vault. This illuminated the women's features. She had short brown hair, with a streak of read. A white hat with a red strip across it. She had beautiful green eyes that seemed to hold all the hope in the world. Fiona looked into her niece's brown eyes.
"Teresa I am going to die today, but you will not." when she talked she wasn't yelling. Her voice was soft and clear. It sounded if all the other sounds didn't exist. It was just her soothing voice. "I'm ready to die I have seen, heard, and felt many things in my life. You have only done a small fraction of what is out there in the world. All you have seen is war. I want you to see the brighter side of things in life" she took a pause breathing in and out. She soon continued
"and you are never alone. There are plenty of people who love and care for you, just as much as I do. Friends are family always know that." One more pause pulling her eyes closer to Teresa's before she continued "I am always with you. Either right by your side or a million miles away, I am with you. To show this I will give you one final gift. The gift I will give you is a chance to live and be free. Will you accept my gift?" she asked waiting for an answer.
This was a lot to take in for Teresa. She understood what was going to happen, but she couldn't believe. Was this how it was really going to end? With her alone, home and family destroyed. Then she repeated her aunt's words through her head again. Her aunt was right she wasn't alone and she never will be. Her aunt was always with her, always. She needed to live. She was only 14. Not long enough to truly feel happiness in the world. She made her decision then and there. Taking a deep breath, she looked into her one last family member emerald green eyes and said.
"I accept your gift" she answered sternly, never breaking connection with her aunt's eyes. A smile immediately graced Fiona's face.
"Good girl. I love you." she said her grin growing wider. A few tears escaped her eyes.
"I love you too." Teresa smiled back, crying also. Fiona leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Teresa's forehead. Fiona looked into her eyes on last time before yelling.
"Now go. Greatness awaits you." she then stood up and looked at the man behind Teresa. "Take care of her August." she said firmly. August looked at Fiona with a determined look.
"I will and make sure to kick his ass." he said smirking.
"Oh, I will" she said smiling back. They shook hands. "Take care partner"
"Same to you" They gave one last shake before they let go. August and Teresa turned and began walking back to the light were the last male figure stood. Fiona looked at him and nodded, he nodded back. Fiona turned away from her friends and family, walking away. She looked back one last time, her final tears falling from her face, before she turned and ran. She soon disappeared in the outer darkness.
Teresa and the other two men began to walk to the light. As they got closer it got hotter. It was just warm at first. It then became hotter. It came to the point where it felt like they were walking in one of the many deserts on Pandora on the hottest day. As it got hotter it got brighter and brighter, lighting up more of the Vault. Soon it was so bright it was as if it was daytime. Even though it was bright the white light had a different glow in the golden light. Teresa wiped off sweat that began to collect on her forehead.
"Is it getting hotter or is it just me?" she yelled. The wind was still going so they needed to yell so they could hear each other.
"It is getting hotter, but were almost to the light so, keep going." August yelled looking at the ever-closer light. When they were about 15 feet away it became extremely hot. Where it began to hurt. It felt like the sun was right behind them. It was burning into their skin, causing extreme pain. Teresa looked up to see how close the golden light had gotten to the ground.
BOOM!
A terrific boom was heard from behind them. It shook the ground, almost causing them to lose their balance. The Vault was completely light up by know. Moments later a blast of heat and force cut through the air. The group was thrown forwards like rag dolls. The pain that the heat brought was unbearable. They screamed as the felt the heat of the sun on their skin. The wind didn't help either, causing Teresa's small frame to roll on the ground uncontrollably. She finally came to a stop on the hard marble floor. The Vault was plunged into darkness once again, the only light in the Vault was from the white light.
She groaned in pain feeling the left side of her body. She immediately hissed in pain from the huge burn marks on her side. A faint yell came from the opposite direction from the light. She turned her head in that direction. She saw the faint flash of a gun going off. Fiona had survived the blast and was now fighting him. She then turned back to the light. It was so close now. She wanted to live. She began to drag her battered form to the light. Her body ached and burned. Every time her burned skin was rubbed against the floor it sent a shock of pain through her entire body. Despite herself she was going slower and slower, until she could barely move.
She felt like she was going to die right there. The hope that once filled her heart was fading fast. She just wanted to lay there and die. A faint gunshot sound rang through the air. She then remembered her aunt fighting the all-powerful tyrant that had stared all of this. If she died today she wouldn't be accepting her aunt's gift and she would be letting him win. She wasn't going to let him win. She began to push herself up with all the strength she had left.
Her body was screaming at her stop, but she kept pushing up. She brought up her right leg, the one not severely damaged. She put most of her weight on her leg and pushed. Before she could get up a figure blocked the light from view. She looked up and smiled seeing the familiar black helmet that had a red '!' on it. Zer0 held his hand out to Teresa. His armor was severely burned, black scorch marks were on several places on his armor. To add to the damage his helmet had a huge crack that ran on the left side. The '!' soon fizzled and disappeared.
"Come on Teresa/we need to live" he said as he grabbed her hand. He pulled her up, she put all her weight on him. She felt someone hold up the other side of her body. She turned her head seeing August by her side. The left side of his clothes were destroyed. The visible skin looked like he had a horrible sunburn. His left eye was ruined. The light had permanently blinded his eye. The heat had burned the skin off leaving a mangled face.
"Let's do this together." he said hopefully, he gave his best smile. Together they began walking towards the light. Hope quickly returned to them. Teresa smiled once again. She had made it through this horrid nightmare. She had accepted Fiona's gift. She closed her eyes as she felt her body be consumed by light.
A War for The Ages
Chapter 1: The New Pandora
Two and a half years. It has been two and a half years since they lost everything. Their family, their home, their normal life. All to that no-good tyrant. He had taken away everything. He always found new ways to make them suffer. He had taken over Atlas and Hyperion though he gave the position of CEO for Hyperion to someone else. The war seemed to never end with friends and family dying every day. The heroic Vault Hunters fighting against him had tried to stop him, by finding a Vault. They thought maybe the Vault contained a power to strike him down. They had found the Vault, but surprisingly the gigantic monster protecting it was smaller in size and power. They had entered the Vault as a group. Before they could do anything else he had come. Him and his murderous Queen. To survive Fiona, the brave leader of the Vault Hunters had used the Vault's power. The Vault brought something else besides a monster; it brought a storm. They had tried to hide in the storm, but he easily found them. An exit had appeared. Only three out of the six had made it to the exit. They had to start their lives a new.
The world the three Vault Hunters entered was unlike Pandora. It was covered in valleys of grass. The sky was a perfect sky blue in the day and in the night the sky was light up by many glittering stars. Forests and oceans were plenty in this world. Mountains were also a part of the terrain. New kinds of flora and fauna were everywhere. Flaming orange birds flew across the sky, while singing their songs of joy. Beautiful flowers of many colors were scattered across the landscape. It was exactly like a Utopia. Though the land looked beautiful and peaceful the Eridians were not so peaceful.
They were a fierce race of warriors that had won many wars. Their appearance was exactly like the same Eridian that had shown on Pandora years ago. They just had different colors and features for each Eridian. They weren't that high in technology. They didn't have the same electricity power source Pandora had, then again this isn't Pandora. They had something different. They seemed to have glowing crystals of different colors. Not like eridium, more electricity filled crystals. These seemed to power everything they used. Not to mention that it lite up their city. It was made from different minerals and stones put together to make strong buildings.
When the surviving Vault Hunters first met these Eridians they were not welcoming. They were immediately attacked by them the moment they came near the city. A small group came and tried to kill them on the spot. In response, the Vault Hunters fled, not wanting the Eridians to see them as a threat. It took several months of negotiation and fighting to gain the trust of the Eridians. Once they made peace with them they were nice people. They helped them recover from their previous battle, they taught them new information unknown to Pandora, and they even gave them a place to stay, but deep down the Vault Hunters knew the truth.
They couldn't stay here. Utopia was the perfect place to live. With no troubles or worries, they could live happily ever after. That couldn't happen. Pandora was at war with a God. They couldn't just leave and live in paradise while everyone was fighting for their freedom. They had to go back. They told their new companions this and agreed to help them. While the Eridians worked on creating a portal to Pandora the Vault Hunters were training. Readying their bodies and minds to fight him again. They learned new techniques and obtained Eridian knowledge for two and a half years. It took two and a half years to create the portal to Pandora and the Vault Hunters were getting ready to go back to the war zone of Pandora.
She tightened her grip on the handle on her sword. The sun was beating down on her and her opponent creating an even more tense atmosphere in the battle arena they were in. Her brown eyes were completely focused waiting for her attacker to strike. Her light rugged brown hair was tied back in a low ponytail. Her hair went to her shoulders. She was wearing white polished armor on her chest arms and legs. Underneath her armor was a simple white T-shirt and black leggings. The sword she was holding had a smooth crystal handle; the blade was made of strong iron that ended in a sharp end. It was pointed at her opponent just waiting to strike out.
"So are going to make a move or just stand there?"
Teresa
Swordsteen in training (only 16)
Her opponent scoffed, pointing his sword at her. He lunged forward swinging his black sword at her head. She brought up her sword to deflect her opponent's strike. A 'clang' rang out through the air as the swords met. She jumped back and then forward. She violently swung at him several times; each time was easily blocked by her opponent. The arena filled with sparks and the sound of metal against metal. Every time she tried to land a blow on him, he would either dodge or block her strike. He swung and hit her sword with enough force to send her stumbling back. She barley had enough time to raise her weapon to deflect her opponents blow. She blocked the blow, but this caused her to lose her balance. She put her left foot back to keep herself from falling backwards. He swung at her, aiming for her face. She leaned back far enough that his blade slightly cut into her left cheek. Stepping back, she put a hand up to her bleeding cheek. She promptly wiped the blood trailing down her cheek.
She immediately felt rage inside of her. She had been training for over two years. She should be able to at least harm her opponent. Yelling she blindly swung at him. It didn't end well. He blocked the strike easily. Then he kicked her in her right knee. She then completely lost balance, but before she could hit the ground he kicked her in the chest. She fell hard on her back; her sword fell out of her hands and out of reach. She sat up and glared at him. He had pointed his sword at her chest; a red smiley face was on his black helmet.
"Three to zero / I win"
Zer0
Master of Swordplay and Combat
His smiley face disappeared. He reached out a hand to Teresa, who still was glaring at him. She sighed giving in, reaching her hand to grab his.
"I almost beat you." she said as he pulled her up.
"Yeah almost." he retorted. "You are getting better / Last time you lasted one minute / this time you lasted two minutes." She had gotten better than last time and far less injuries. The problem was that it has been over two years and she still couldn't knock her teacher on his ass.
"Yeah, I was better, but not enough to beat you." she complained, throwing her hands in the air, "Were going back to Pandora today and how can I win a fight against a soldier if I can't even beat you." she sighed in defeat. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked to see his face.
"Do not feel bad Teresa / It takes time to learn this skill / it took me five years to reach where I am / you have only been training for two years / not to mention your sixteen"
"He's right you know" the male voice came from the left. They turned their heads to see a man leaning on the wall of the arena. He had short blond hair that was combined up. He also had a goatee to match his blonde hair. He had sky-blue eyes. Though he wore a black eye patch on his left eye where there was a slight discoloration in skin color. He also had a silver nose ring. He was wearing a white T-shirt with a light purple torn jacket. He had blue jeans and brown combat boots. He also had white tape on his hands.
"You have gotten better in your sword work."
August
The Bandit Vault Hunter
Smiling he strolled over to the pair. He shook Zer0's hand and then turned and hugged Teresa.
"That was a good last practice before we go to Pandora. You nervous?" he asked. Was she nervous. She was terrified. The thought of going back to that war zone of a planet made her skin crawl, but she couldn't let her uncles know that. So, she played cool. She strained up and put her best smile on.
"Nervous no. If anything, I'm excited to go back" she said still smiled. August smiled back.
"Okay miss samurai get ready to go because we're leaving in 20 minutes so, get your stuff together and meet us at the back gate of the city." he instructed her.
"Okay see you guys there." she said before walking towards the exit. She disappeared behind the white doubled doors.
"She's terrified." August commented.
"Yeah / but she'll make it through" Zer0 said a red smile appeared on his face.
Teresa walked through the beautiful garden. She had taken out her hair tie causing her hair to spread across her shoulders. A white band-aid was on the cheek that was cut from today's training. She was wearing a white tank top and on top of that she a light green crop top. She had brown jeans and black boots. A bouquet of colorful flowers was held in her hands. She was walking down a stone pathway through the garden. On the sides of the pathway were beautiful flowers of different size and color. The sun casting its beautiful rays on the garden gave it a sense of peaceful tranquility. When she got to the end of the pathway where a patch of grass lay, where a huge tree was planted. Its branches spreading over the grass creating a shadowy area for something special. She stopped in front of the tree and took in a deep breath closing her eyes. She then spoke in low voice.
"Hi, it's me Teresa. I came to talk to you." She opened her eyes not seeing anyone else. "Good news we're going back to Pandora after two and a half years. I'm going to miss this place, but Pandora needs us." No one replied.
"The truth is that I'm scared of going back. I haven't told August or Zer0 yet. They can't worry about me and save Pandora at the same time," she took in a deep breath calming herself "but I know that you will be with me all the way and that gives me the determination to move on." she looked down now "I just want to thank you for everything that you have done for me and I will return the favor by winning back Pandora." she placed down the flowers in front of the tombstone. "Goodbye Vault Hunter." she then stood and began to walk away. When she was some distance away she turned her head to look at the tombstone one last time. What was inscribed in the tombstone were the following words,
Here lies,
Fiona,
Leader of the Vault Hunters
August, Zer0, Teresa, the leader of the Eridians, and two guards were walking along the path that leads to the portal to Pandora. They were carrying bags full of clothes and all the niceties they need for Pandora; including weapons.
"It was rather easy to make the portal once we understood matter placement." the Eridian leader, Orm was explaining how they got the portal to work and why it took so long to work. They weren't paying any attention to what he was saying. They were all too worried about going back to Pandora.
When they left Pandora, they were at war with a God. He killed everyone, until there was just a few survivors. Six of the people that were still alive decided to find a Vault to see if it could help them in the war. Those people were Gaige, Axton, Zer0, August, Teresa, and their leader Fiona. After the events of the Vault they have not talked about what Pandora would be like.
Their greatest hope was the war was over and they won. They would get to Pandora and go into the warm embrace of an old friend or family member. They would hear about how they won one of the great battles of Pandora.
Their worst fear was that they lost. They would come to Pandora into the waiting arms of the enemy. That they would either be killed or sent to rot in jail.
If the war was still going on they would join the rest of the fighters. They would either be a part of a glorious victory or die a hero's death in battle.
Before they knew it, they were at the portal. They were at the back of the city. They were in a huge field of grass and that was where it was. It stood tall in the shilling sun. The portal looked like a Vault entrance; it was the same size as one too. It seemed to be made of the energy crystal Utopia used to power their city. The only difference it wasn't glowing; if anything, it looked dull.
"And that's how we got this portal to connect to The Vault of the Tempest on Pandora." Orm finally finished. Teresa wasn't impressed by how it looked. The portals she usually saw had a bit more material than this one. They also had more color.
"Is this it?" she asked "It kinda just looks like an arch." August elbowed her in the side causing her to yelp slightly.
"That's because we haven't turned the power on yet." Orm said before he gestured to the two guards to turn on the machine. They flew over to either side of the portal. They then pulled out huge blue crystals the size of a big rock from underneath their armor. They brought the crystals to the arch. That area began to glow blue and the crystal arch began to reach out towards the crystals like water. It completely covered the crystals and pulled it to its self. It consumed the crystals. The arch immediately began to glow a vibrant blue. It started from the bottom but soon flowed upward like a river. Once the light connected at the of the arch there was a huge flash of light that caused them to look away. Once the light died down they looked back at the portal in awe.
The space in the middle of the arch was filled with what looked like light blue water. It flowed downwards in slow calming motions. It also emanated a blue glow on their faces. They couldn't see anything past the flowing water.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Orm asked.
"It's amazing." August gaped.
"It is calming." Zer0 commented. Teresa's eyes were completely focused on the portal. This was their way back to Pandora; back to home. What could she say about it.
"Its… it's our only hope for home." she said still looking at the portal. August looked at her and smiled; he nudged her slightly.
"Your dang right it is." he commented. Orm stepped forward and turned to face his soon leaving guests.
"We hope you will all be successful in your mission to bring down a tyrant. We know how hard it is to defeat a powerful enemy. You may leave when ready." When he finished talking he stepped aside so he could allow them to leave. They didn't move. They felt a whole lot of different emotions. Hope, joy, happiness, nervousness, fear. These emotions were coursing through them causing their legs to lock up. August broke the silence.
"So, this is the way back to Pandora?"
"I never thought / we would be able to go back" Zer0 said with some disbelief.
"Everyone ready to go back?" August asked looking at his two friends. Zer0 nodded looking at Teresa. She took a deep breath and looked at them.
"I'm ready" she said confidently. They began to walk towards the portal. Their hearts were beating in their chests at an extreme rate. They looked at the water of the portal with an intense stare. This was it. They way back to home and family. The happiness of going back home was greater than the fear in their guts.
Home, was all they thought as they passed through the water.
The Queen stood in front of a huge monitor that took up the entire wall, which showed parts of her kingdom. Four rows of long tables were in front which had computers which were people worked. Their fingers tapping on the keyboard at an impossible rate. Her blue eyes were staring intently at the multiple scenes, just waiting for something to happen. Her light blue dress flowed gracefully around her slim body. The left sleeve was missing showing who she truly was. A crown was placed proudly upon her head. She was just watching. In truth, she would rather be doing something more exciting. The screen suddenly made a beeping noise and started to flash. Her face light up. She was finally going to get some action. Her face turned to joy to complete seriousness. The screen read
Incoming call from…
"Answer it." she barked at one of the workers. He hurriedly answered the call. A man's face appeared on the screen. It was hard to see his features as he was draped in shadows. Even though it was hard to see his face, his eyes were a dead giveaway. Every person in the room bowed their heads in respect. Even the Queen bowed her head. Even though she was The Queen, she always bowed to The King.
"You may rise." he spoke in a strong tone. She looked up at him with a serious look. "Hi, how is my beautiful Queen of Elpis doing?" he asked in a happier tone compared to the one before. She smiled at him showing her bleach white teeth.
"You know just watching the security cameras of my kingdom. How are you doing?" she asked back. He took in a deep breath and breathing it out.
"Just fine. Yesterday I was meeting the new recruits for Atlas. I must say Hera did a good job choosing who should join Atlas." His tone reached one of disgust as he said, "Not choosing those incompetent workers who can barely build a working computer."
"Of course, she did. We wouldn't choose a CEO that would know how to rule a company. Speaking of new recruits, I heard that the populated increased slightly on Helios. If we get too many people, we might have to make Helios bigger to fit all those people."
"Maybe, we need all the people we can get these days. After…" he paused looking for the right words. "all that fighting we need more people." He was silent after he said that. She cleared her throat and said.
"So, did you just call to ask how my day was or do you need something?"
"Oh yeah, do you remember The Vault of the Tempest?" he asked quietly. Her eyes widened as soon as that sentence left his mouth. The worst Vault she had ever opened.
"How could I forget?" she said solemnly.
"Of course. Well, guess what its up and running again." she looked completely shocked.
"What do you mean 'up and running'?" she asked.
"I mean that the Vault is activated. I don't know how or why it is up."
"What do you want me to do? You're the one on Pandora."
"Great question, shows that your listening. I want you to go to Pandora and kill any Eridian that comes out."
"Why can't you do it?" she asked slightly annoyed.
"Because I'm working on an important project that is none of your concern." his tone was one of complete seriousness. "You will go right now and before I go I suggest you put your armor on. You might need it."
"Yes my King. We will leave as soon as possible." she said giving a small bow. He took in a deep breath smiling from ear to ear.
"Perfect." was the last word he said before he hung up. She smiled as soon as his face disappeared from the screen. She was just asking for some action. This was the best thing that could have happened. She looked to the closest worker to her right.
"Get ships ready to go to Pandora and tell Freya to meet me in the armory." She ordered him.
"Yes your highness." came the reply from the worker. She spun around and walked through the double doors through on the opposite side on the monitor.
She went to her private quarters and did a quick change from her dress to an elastic black suit that covered everything except her neck, head, right hand, and her entire left arm and shoulder. She placed her crown on her dresser and promptly walked out her room. At the speed, she walked at she made to the armory in less than a minute. She quickly went to the back of the armory to a metal door that had a hand scanner to the right. She placed her left hand on the scanner. It glowed a bright blue before the door slid open. She walked inside the room and smiled when she saw a familiar suit of armor. She walked to it and began to take pieces of armor and put them on her body. She started with her feet first. There was a loud 'clank' each time a piece of armor clung to her body.
"You requested to see me." The female voice came from behind her just as she finished armoring her legs. She turned around to see the women. She looked at the women for a second before turning back around and grabbed the chest plate.
"Yes, by now you know I have been requested to go to Pandora."
'Clank'
"I would like you to stay here and watch over Elpis in my absence."
'Clank'
"Yes your highness. How long will you be gone?" The women asked.
'Clank'
"If all goes well, I should be back in two days." she answered.
'Clank'
By now she was covered in armor except for her helmet and of course her left arm.
"Are you sure you're ready to go to Pandora? You haven't been able to fully rest." The women asked. The Queen picked up her helmet and stared at her reflection on it. She looked into the eyes of a person who has done and with a lot of things. She then smiled thinking of how she was going back into the fray just after a big event in history.
"I'm sure. I've been through worse."
'Clank'
Their feet touched Pandora's soil. The way through the portal wasn't as glamorous as before. There wasn't any bright flash of light that lit up the world. If anything, it felt like she passed through cool water without ever getting wet. The air had changed from cool to hot in an instant. Light was beating on their bodies. They didn't see anything at first. Probably because their eyes were still closed.
"So," August said shrugging his shoulders "do you guys want to open our eyes on the count on three?"
Zer0 and Teresa said 'Yes' in unison.
"One, two… three!" he shouted. They all opened their eyes on three and immediately screamed in pain when the bright light hit their eyes. They rubbed their eyes to try and comfort their eyes. Though August rubbed one eye.
"Wow that is really bright light." August cried.
"At least / we know its daytime." Zer0 said. The burning in their eyes went away moments later.
"Okay take two." Teresa said this time opening their slowly. "Wow." she was surprised at how Pandora looked. It looked the same for the most part. Same dessert floor, same scolding hot sun, even the same sky. The only differences they saw on Pandora was that there wasn't any animals or bandits. There was barely any trash or skeletons of deceased creatures and it was unnaturally quiet. There was usually the sound of Rakks screeching or bandits and psychos screaming, but there was none of that, just silence.
"Well, were back." she quietly "Now what do we do?"
"We should go look for shelter." August said looking around.
"Do you mean go find a cave, city, or Sanctuary?" she put a point on the last word.
"Which ever one we find first." With that they began to walk. They decided to go South. Neither of them spoke. They just back to Pandora. 'The War Planet' is what people called because there was so much fighting going on. Having nothing to talk about Teresa looked at the sky. She looked confused. She saw sky a beautiful, clean, blue. She stared at the sky looking to see if it was still in the sky. She gasped as she saw what she was looking for.
"Hey, look guys it's still up there." she said with false happiness. August and Zer0 looked up to the sky to see a familiar space station soaring above them. Helios was the only thing that dotted the clear blue sky. August glared at the space station.
"You think Wilhelm will go up to Helios?" he asked. "I mean how can you be the CEO of Hyperion and be on Pandora?"
"Knowing him / he is most likely to fight for himself / than have others fight for him." Zer0 answered. Teresa began to think. If Hyperion was still on Pandora with Atlas would they notice their arrival. She was grateful that they weren't there, but a Vault just opened they should be coming with everything they got to try and claim it. These thoughts bounced in her head as she walked.
"Hey, Teresa." her thoughts were interrupted when she heard August's voice. She looked up at him. His face was one of concern. "Are you okay?"
"I'm as well as I can be right now." The tone of her voice was lower than usual.
"Aren't we all… what you are thinking about?" He looked forward.
"I've been thinking about what happened while were gone. We left with most of our friends dead and John leading Sanctuary by himself. I wonder if he is still alive. When you guys first met him you told me he was a wreck, until you helped him out of depression. Maybe he fell back into depression when we left and didn't come back for over two years. I don't see why he wouldn't. When The Queen killed his daughter he almost became depressed. What do you think?" The question was directed at August.
He thought about it. Yes, he was a complete wreck when he first met him. He barley did anything. He would be in his room all the time; August could sometimes hear him crying and saying how bad a person he was when he walked by his door. They thought at first, they couldn't help him. Until, his daughter decided to talk to him about the problem. She would visit her father when it was necessary. She surprised everyone when she said she would cure her father of depression. She had been in his room for nearly two hours. When she walked out the room her father walked out behind her. Since, then he fought by their sides and ended being a major leader in the rebellion.
"I think he is strong enough. To come out of a depression at the time he did takes a strong person. Even after all the loss he was strong enough to continue fighting. Remember, he was the one who agreed to stay behind in Sanctuary. I bet he's still leading Sanctuary right now." He said the last part in a happier tune. She smiled at his words. She shouldn't be so negative and thinking of the worst. She should start thinking on the brighter side.
"You're right. He is strong and all the people we fight alongside are strong to. Like you and Zer0." By now they were looking at each other smiling.
"Don't forget your strong too. Come here!" August then grabbed Teresa and playfully put her in a headlock and ruffled her hair. They chuckled together.
"Sorry, to interrupt the touching moment / but you'll want to see this." August and Teresa looked at Zer0 when he spoke. They had walked on the top of a small rocky cliff. What was at the bottom of the cliff was amazing. It was a city. Not like a normal Pandoran city; with rundown buildings, trash filled streets, and insane residents. This was a shiny clean city. The buildings were made from a pristine metal with clean glass windows, the ground was made from smooth cobblestones, instead of rough dirt, colorful signs from shops gave the city color. The most surprising characteristic were the residents. The streets and buildings were filled with people. They were hard to see from afar, but they were not bandits or normal Pandorans.
"Dang, would you look at that." August awed.
"It seems that Atlas / or Hyperion has created a city." Zer0 said.
"Yeah, but I don't see any Hyperion or Atlas symbol on anything" Teresa said while looking at the city. "Do you guys think we should go down to the city?"
"We could we just need to be careful." August replied. With that they began to slowly make their way down to the city. Dust got kicked while they were walking; causing their cloths to become slightly dirty. Once they got to the bottom of the cliff and the entrance to the city they were greeted with a huge sign that had lights around.
It read 'Welcome to Prosperity Junction'.
August immediately gasped. He used to do some business deals here before the war. Last, he remembered it was run down and was more like a pit of trash than a city.
"I know this place." He said excitedly.
"You've been here before?" Teresa asked.
"Yes, but it never looked this clean or shinny when I was here." He answered
"Do you think Atlas or Hyperion did this?"
"I doubt it or we would be seeing some guards around the perimeter. Maybe some people I know are still here."
"So, then our best option is to go in / and see if anyone you know is here." Zer0 said beginning to walk into the city. They all began to walk into the city. They were officially in the city when their feet walked on cobblestone. They decided to walk on the main street and not the side walk. They got a better look at the people. They came in all sizes, shapes, and ages. They wore clean clothes; much like Hyperion. The difference was no Hyperion logo. No matter what clothes they looked at; shirts, pants, jackets, dresses, and even shoes. They also looked at shops and signs. No logo was found.
"Looks like this isn't the work of Hyperion." August stated.
"Or Atlas. I don't see their logo either." Teresa said still looking at the people. Another thing different about the people was they weren't armed. No one had guns, knives, or axes. Unlike August, Zer0, and Teresa. Zero had his sword on his back along with a shotgun. August had two holstered handguns. Teresa had her one sword on her back. While they were looking, they noticed some people looking at them. They did look out of place. Though they couldn't tell if it was because of their outfits or their weapons. They came to a point where there was a large group of people walking into a building.
"Where are those people going?" Teresa asked gesturing to the group of people.
"Into that building, but what is it?" August asked looking up. The building was huge and was taller than most buildings. It was made from a whiter metal than the other buildings. Huge sign was at the top of the building.
It read 'World of Curiosities' in bright colorful letters. August eyes lit up at the sight of the sign.
"I know this place. A guy named Shade runs this place."
"Shade?" Teresa asked bewildered.
"I also have no / idea who Shade is." Zer0 added.
"Shade was a part of one of my business deals. I want to warn you guys he can be…" August paused "strange at times."
"Define strange?" she asked looking at August.
"Strange as he collects human corpses and uses them as decorations." He said simply.
"Oh." she said nodding her head. They began walking towards the building. They went through the set of double doors once they got to it. The building looked even bigger on the inside. The white polished floor seemed to glow under the bright celling lights. Multiple glass cases full of deceased creatures lined the walls. At the end of the hallway it opened into a large circular dome. Multiple hallways were on the outside of the dome. Each hallway had a sign above it saying what the theme for the hallway. In the center of the room was a giant bullymong in a position with it roaring with all four arms out. People were looking at all the magnificent creatures on display.
"Wow." August said shocked. "I didn't know Shade's place would be so popular that it got upgraded with the city."
"Let's go find Shade / and see if he can help us." Zer0 said walking forward. It was hard for Teresa to look for Shade when kept on looking at the creatures. Once they got to the bullymong she wondered how the people could kill a bullymong without causing total damage to the body.
"Oh look, new visitors." The female voice had come from their left. They turned to see a middle-aged woman with short red hair and brown eyes. She was wearing a white pant suit with black flat bottom shoes. She wore several gold bracelets on each arm, along with a necklace and earrings. The look she had on her face was stone cold; she also had her arms crossed on her chest. It seemed like she was going to stay like that when suddenly her face grew into an ear to ear smile and she cheered throwing her hands up.
"How, wonderful!"
Shades
Completely Sane
Shades shout caused about half a dozen people stare at her, but she didn't notice. She immediately stuck out her hand saying:
"Hello, my name is Shades I run this amazing museum." Her tone was hyper and bouncing full of life. No one did anything at first. August spoke first.
"Um, hi my name is August. You said you run this place?" He stuck out his hand. She took it excitedly shaking it at an impossible rate. While they were shaking hands, she was staring into his blue eyes.
"I sure do!" she said enthusiastically. "I just love how it turned out!"
"But I thought Shade ran this place?" She let go of his hand at the end of his sentence. She put her hand under her chin.
"Shade?" she said this in a much quieter tone. "Shade? Shade? Shade?" her face lit up as she began to remember. "Oh, yes I remember. He was my grandfather."
"Your grandfather." August repeated.
"My grandfather. I got this place from my father, who got it from his father, which is my grandfather." She began to actually take a good look at the people she was talking to. The armor, rugged appearance, weapons.
"Oh, my god!" her voice had become higher in volume like before. "You guys look like real life Vault Hunters!" Zer0 was confused by this comment.
"Why are you so overjoyed / to see Vault Hunters?" he asked confused.
"Because Vault Hunters haven't existed in…" She stopped her own statement then continued with a new one. "You guys are real Vault Hunters I thought you guys were just in costume." She said with raising excitement.
"Costume?" Teresa asked.
"Yeah well now technically you're not in costume your just wearing Vault Hunter clothes because your Vault Hunters!" Shades shouted. She pointed at Teresa.
"You look like a young Vault Hunter in training!" She then pointed to August.
"You look like those rough and tumble Vault Hunters that carry one mean punch." She then pointed to Zer0.
"And you look like one of those secret assassins." They were all confused. Why was she excited to see Vault Hunters? They were all over the place.
"Come, Come." She continued speaking "see what I put together for Vault Hunters." She began to walk away and waved for them to follow. They followed her walking to one of the various hallways. There was a sign above this one in purple lights.
It read 'Legendary Vault Hunters'.
The hallway they walked into was wide and it had black floors instead of white. This gave the hallway a dark appearance. What lit up the hallway was the lights brightening all the holographic statures and painted portraits of Vault Hunters and Vault Guardians on either side of the hallway. The holographic information about the Vault Hunter or weapon was floating above a sliver pedestal.
"This looks amazing!" Teresa exclaimed surprised by how much there was.
"I hoped you like it. It was my favorite place to redesign." Shades walked past a couple of pedestals before stopping at a statue of a Vault Hunter. They followed behind her and gazed upon the Vault Hunter. The male Vault Hunter had light brown skin. Black short hair was roughly messed up upon his head. He had piercing blue eyes that seemed cold. He was wearing what seemed to be a Hyperion guard outfit, but colors changed from yellow and red to black and light blue. The expression on his face held no happiness and his eyes seemed to be staring passed them. The hologram wasn't tinted blue. Instead the hologram was clean picture that allowed the natural color of the picture flow through.
"This guy here" Shades gestured to the hologram "was Commander Richard of Hyperion's Vault Hunter Group. He was one of the greatest Hyperion leaders there was." They were at a loss for words. Hyperion, the company that was supposed to be fighting Pandora, had a museum that had a part honoring Hyperion leaders.
"What the hell are you talking about" Teresa began to shout "Hyperion is-" she was cut off when Zer0 put his hand over her mouth.
"She was going to say that / Hyperion is amazing / in their technology." Zer0 finished her sentence. Shades was giving him a glare much like before. A red smiley face appeared on his mask. This made her smile and continue to walk down the hall. His smiley face disappeared he turned to Teresa.
"It seems that this place might / be connected to Hyperion. We don't her to become / suspicious of us." Zer0 said in a hushed tone. She nodded and they continued to walk. This time they stopped a huge painting. The painting was of a Vault gate. In front of the Vault with their backs turned to them were five Vault Hunters. Behind the Vault was a gigantic Vault Guardian. It looked like a dragon. It had glowing pale eridium purple scales, black claws, and pure white eyes. The guardian had two great black horns on its head that twisted backwards. It had huge wings that were pure white. The guardian was positioned so that it was facing forward. It had its front legs on either side of the Vault. Its huge wings were spread out so far that it went off the painting. Its head was pointing slightly down to look at the Vault Hunters. Black smoke came out of its nostrils. Its mouth was open where light purple flames rolled out. The painting all together looked like Vault Hunters preparing to battle a Vault Guardian.
"This is my favorite painting of Vault Hunters and a Vault Guardian." Shades continued "This is the Vault of Kronos. Those people down there were Hyperion's top Vault Hunter team." She pointed to the female Vault Hunter in the middle. "That person right there is the Queen of Elpis when she lived on Pandora." Their thought process immediately stopped. If the Queen had somehow taken over Elpis while they were away would that mean that Pandora was already taken over? They were confused and shocked to say anything. Shades continued pointing to the Vault Guardian.
"That Vault Guardian is named Typhon. I love this picture so much because this shows an accurate depiction of Typhon and the Vault Hunters."
"Did they defeat Typhon?" Teresa asked staring at Typhon.
"They sure did. It took forever though. I wish I was there. I would actually see one of the greatest Vault Guardians in real life." As she began to go into detail a commotion outside the hall got Zer0's attention. He turned to look outside the hall. He saw a group of people in uniform. They were wearing light blue metal armor that covered their entire body. The helmets they wore covered their entire head and face. Translucent blue circles of glass was on the face were the eyes would be. They wore a symbol on the left side of their chests. It wasn't Hyperion or Atlas. It was a sky-blue circle with a white crescent moon and two white starts inside. The crescent moon was a part of the circle with the two stars next to it. They also had holsters which held shinning blue guns. They were the same style as Hyperion guns. They seemed to be looking around for something.
"Shades looks like / got new visitors." Zer0 said looking at the armored people. Shades stopped talking and looked at where he was looking. Her face immediately became confused.
"What is the Lunar Guard doing here?" she asked to herself. They were set into confusion once again. She began to walk out of the hallway. They followed her. Once they got out the hallway Zer0 saw the total number of people. There were fifteen of them.
"Hello Lunar Guard." Shades and the Vault Hunters stopped in front of the bullymong. Shades stood in front of them as she addressed the guards. "I'll like to welcome to my 'World of Curiosities'! May I help you in any way?" One of the male guards walking forward towards Shades.
"Miss Shades I am Corporal Grant of the Lunar Guard. I was sent here by our Queen to investigate some strange happenings on Pandora. I came here to ask you if you have seen anything unusual." The froze. So, they did know they were here.
"Unusual!" Shades practically screeched. "I have just met something fantastic. Vault-" before she could blurt out what she met that was so fantastic, August cut her off.
"Well, thank you Shades for this great experience" he took his had away from his mouth "but my friends must be leaving." They began to walk away towards the exit. They were blocked by armored guards.
"Hold up." Grants voice said to the right of them "Who are you guys?" They didn't know how to answer that question without getting filled with bullets. Panicked Teresa quickly answered with,
"We're tourists from… not from here." Grant looked at them up and down.
"Not like any I've seen." He said still looking at them. Then he noticed their accessories. He knew one thing tourists didn't have was weapons.
"Of course, they're not normal tourists." Shades exclaimed "They're legendary Vault Hunters!" His head immediately turned to stare at the Vault Hunters.
"So, they say." He said quietly. After a moment, he spoke "We will take you all in for questioning." He nodded to the other guards and they began to walk towards them.
"What we didn't do anything!" she shouted at Grant. August pulled her back.
"All of you seem out of place. You might be connected to the strange happenings on Pandora." As the guards moved forward Shades moved in front of them. She held her ups.
"Woah guys no need to take them!" She shouted. "They're just Vault Hunters!"
"Vault Hunters don't exist anymore." Grant said angered, losing his calm demeaner. He quickly retained his calm demeaner when he continued with, "They shouldn't be on Pandora or Elpis." They were stunned, shocked, and most of all confused.
What had happened in those two and a half years they were gone?
Shades wasn't stunned or sad. She was upset. How dare they disrespect the greatest hunters in history. She signed.
"You know what Corporal you're right." From in her right arm sleeve she pulled out a small white remote with several small silver buttons. "Did you know that these building's lights can also turn off?" she asked him smiling.
"What?" he said confused. She then pointed the remote upwards and pressed a button. The lights on the ceiling instantly went out. They were immediately plunged into darkness. The only light coming from hallways which slightly light the room in some areas. "Fire at the Vault Hunters!" ordered Grant. The guards followed his orders starting to grab their guns.
Shades bolted into the nearest hallway. August grabbed Teresa and ran back, while Zer0 ran forward. August and Teresa hid behind the right leg of the bullymong. The guards fired their guns at the bullymong's leg where they were taking shelter. The room flashed with light as the guards tried to shoot their targets. Zer0 ran to the left away from the semi-circle and towards Grant. He pulled out his sword and swung at Grant's head. He ducked and while Zer0's sword was down he punched him on the top of his head. Surprised that he was stuck Zer0 backed up slightly. He swung at Grant again, he aimed at his chest. This time Grant didn't fully dodge the attack and was rewarded with a scratch on his chest plate armor.
Two guards shooting at August and Teresa noticed their Corporal being attacked. They turned and started shooting at Zer0. The guards did not have bad aim. The only reason Zer0 wasn't full of bullets is because he noticed the guards aiming at him and rolled out the way. He then ran into the closet hallway for cover. He pulled out his shotgun and began shooting at the guards. By now the guards had taken shelter behind display cases and Grant had disappeared.
August was using one handgun to shoot at the guards. It was difficult to hit a guard because when a guard stuck his head out to shoot one would take cover. By the time, August pulled the trigger the guard had ducked for cover and another one would shoot; causing him to miss his target and hit one of the displays in the museum. Then he would have to take cover from the shower of bullets that came is way. He was getting frustrated, usually guards he faced didn't have good aim.
"I could use some help!" he shouted over the sound of bullets. He turned to Teresa who was beside him. She was just hugging onto him for dear life. "Teresa help me!" she looked up at him.
"I don't have a gun!" she yelled back at him.
"Here!" he grabbed the gun left in his holster "Take this!" he handed her the gun.
"I didn't have much training with a gun though." She was staring at the gun.
"Well, here's the short lesson point, shoot, and don't get hit by bullets." He turned back around and began shooting again. She grumbled and turn to shoot. She quickly ducked back when a shower of bullets came her way. She took a deep breath and tried again. This time no bullets came her way. She brought up the gun and pointed it at a guard that was focused on Zer0. She pulled the trigger. The bullet shot through the air and struck the wall behind the guard. It ricocheted off and hit the ground. She ducked again.
'Nice shot' she said to herself sarcastically in her head. She turned again. She aimed for the closest guard. A figure jumped in front of her before she could pull the trigger. With a start, she realized in was Grant. He had been hiding in one of the hallways and in his hand, was a metal ball with one button on it. Her eyes widened as he hurled it at them. It landed next to them.
"August-" was all she could say before the ball began to produce a thick smoke. It covered them in a matter of moments. She began to cough due to the smoke entering her lungs. She stumbled, then turned to face August. Her vision was nearing black rapidly.
"August, you okay?" she asked trying to feel for him. Her hands felt nothing. What she did feel was hard blow to the back of her head that caused her to fall to the ground. She blinked a couple of times before she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore and fell into unconsciousness.
August was greeted to harsh light when he opened his eye. He cringed slightly and then opened his eye more. He the sun above him; gracing him with its harsh rays. He was slightly confused at first of where he was. Then he looked down at the floor he was on was dirt. He was on his knees with his hands restrained behind his back. He also noticed that all his gear was gone. It then hit him; they were captured by the Lunar Guard to be interrogated. He looked to his right to see Zer0 and Teresa in the same position that he was in. They were both awake. He then looked around seeing twice as many guards there was before. The had taken them out of the city and into the middle of nowhere. The guards seemed to be paying little attention to them. He turned to his friends and whispered
"Are you guys okay?" Zer0 turned to him and nodded.
"I'm fine / I just lost my train of thought and got struck." They both looked at Teresa. She looked back at them slightly terrified.
"Besides being traumatized and a slight throbbing in my head I'm okay."
"Sorry that was my bad." August apologized "I couldn't see that side of me because of my eye patch."
"That's okay we all make huge mistakes in life." It was silent for a while before she spoke again "What do we do now?" she asked in a panicked whisper. August leaned in close to them.
"What we'll do is wait it out until their guard is down. Then we will escape and find Sanctuary."
"Then what?" Teresa asked in a harsh whisper.
"Then we…" he paused thinking. He opened his mouth to speak again, but was cut off by one of the Lunar Guards shout
"The Queen is here!" They froze and Teresa began to hyperventilate.
"Oh' my God she's come to kill us." Teresa said through hurried breaths.
"We're not sure if she's her to kill us Teresa / Just take a deep breath." Zer0 said trying to calm down Teresa.
She tried to straighten her breaths so she wouldn't pass out. A thrumming sound was coming from the sky. It was like a ship coming down from the sky. When the sound got louder they all looked back to see a small blue ship coming at them. The glass in front of the plane revealed two guards; one steering and one looking at the controls. It started to slow down coming in close. It flew over them creating huge gusts of wind. They saw on each side of the plane there was the same symbol there was on the guards. The plane hovered a few meters in front of them. The wheels came out of the bottom of the plane. When it touched the ground the plane began to quiet down before it became silent. It had landed with the front facing away from them and the back of the plane facing them.
The guards had made two separate lines facing each other. The prisoners were at the end and the plane was at the other end. The back of the plane opened and stopped when it touched the ground. Metallic footsteps were heard from the inside of the plane. Two lunar guards came out from the plane and behind them was The Queen. The two guards joined one of the two lines while The Queen continued to walk in between the guards. As she walked past her guards they bowed; showing their queen respect. She got to the end of the line were glared at the Vault Hunters.
Her body was covered in silver metal armor that gleamed in the sun. Her helmet covered her head. The helmet had empty circles were her eyes were. Her eyes were an enchanting blue. The helmet also had an empty spot for her hair to come out in a long high ponytail. Her hair was a light sky blue that got lighter as it got to the end. On the left side of her chest was her symbol. The only difference was the symbol seemed to be made of crystal and not metal. The most ousting part of her was her left arm. Her armor didn't cover her arm exposing it to the world. Tattoos were graced her arm. They were same blue as her eyes. They weren't random markings over her skin though. They had a certain pattern to them. It was calming twists and turns that would end and start anew. The most stand out tattoo feature was the warped circle on the side of her shoulder that had a single dot in it.
The Queen
Siren Ruler of Elpis
She was taller than everybody. She looked down at them and through her helmet you could see her eyes wide for a moment before she continued her cold glare. The Vault Hunters couldn't help but look up at her. August looked at her defiantly; he wasn't going to let her intimidation get to him. Zer0 looked up at her with curiosity; it was either her tattoos or her eyes that made her eerily familiar. Teresa looked up at her with a mixture of fear and hatred; fear because she knew what The Queen was capable of and all the horrible ways she could end their lives. She felt hatred because of one thing The Queen did.
She killed Angel.
"Corporal Grant." Her voice was sharp causing it to break the silence startle the Vault Hunters. Grant came up from his bowed position and quickly walked over to his queen.
"Yes your highness?" he asked her. Her eyes looked over the Vault Hunters once again before she spoke.
"Are these the people that came out of the Vault of the Tempest?" she asked never taking her eyes off them.
"Yes your highness." He answered quickly.
"How did you subdue them?"
"My guards and the prisoners were having a gun fight. I threw a smoke bomb at the girl and blonde haired one." He pointed at Teresa and August. "I and one of my squad members went in and took out both, while Sparta subdued the last one." He pointed to Zer0.
"Where is Sparta now?"
"After she took out her opponent she went back to Castle Siren."
"Probably already told him what we found." She angrily mumbled under her breath.
"Should we kill them now?" Teresa's eyes widened and she gulped. The Queen noticed this and purposely set her cold gaze upon Teresa. The Queen hummed in thought; rolling the question around in her head.
"No. We shall them to one of the interrogation rooms in New Haven. I will speak to them there. Is that understood?"
"Yes your highness." Grant turned around and began barking orders to the other guards. The Queen turned around and began to walk back to the ship with two guards. Three guards came behind the Vault Hunters and directed them to the ship.
'Oh, great' was the last thing August thought before he and his friends were boarded on the ship, heading to New Haven.
The Vault Hunters were being lead down a hallway that had many interrogation rooms. A lunar guard was behind each one of them. The flight to New Haven hadn't taken long. Ten minutes at most. They had taken away their weapons and probably stored them somewhere in the building. They had gone to the interrogation rooms while The Queen went to go speak to a high official in the town.
The guards stopped at a door to their left and walked inside. The interrogation room was a small sized room. The room was made from metal and painted white. A white metal table was in the center of the room. On the side of the table closest to the back was three stools. On the opposite side of the table was one stool. The wall the door was on was a long glass window for people to look inside.
"Move!" one of the guards shouted shoving August in. The rest of them followed in. Teresa sat at the stool on the right, Zer0 sat in the middle, and August on the left. They rested their cuffed hands on the table. Two out of the three guards stayed in the room. The two guards stayed on either side of the glass while the other was on the opposite side of the glass watching them.
The guard on the outside turned to right and gave a quick bow. The guard seemed to be talking to somebody out of view. The door opened moments later. The Queen walked through closing the door behind her. She sat in the stool in front of the Vault Hunters. She didn't say anything at first. She was taking deep breaths. Through her helmet, they could see her eyes were closed. Then suddenly she straitened up and her eyes flew open. Her cold glare was upon them once again.
"So…" her voice seemed to carry power behind it. "you three are the ones that activated the Vault of the Tempest." She laughed "I expected something different than three normal people. Well, I guess I just had my standards up high. Okay, who is the leader of this little outfit?" She asked them.
The question was a hard one to answer. They technically didn't have a leader. They were a group and treated each other equally.
"I am." August had spoken. He had answered because when they were in Sanctuary August had the highest rank out of all of them. Her gaze went August.
"What is your name?"
"August." His voice was firm; showing no fear.
"What are your names? For clarity's sake." She gestured to Teresa and Zer0.
"Zer0." He answered in a monotone voice.
"Teresa." She tried to answer in a strong voice. What came out was a squeak. The Queen chuckled.
"Well, August how and why did you come out of the Vault?"
"We were trapped inside the Vault," August decided to play along "so naturally we wanted to escape."
"Were you trapped in the Vault by accident or did somebody put you there?"
"It was no accident that we were trapped in that Vault. Actually, you should know who trapped us?"
"Oh" She raised an eyebrow under her helmet.
"Yes, you should know because you were there with him when it happened!" August shouted the last part. She didn't say anything at first, but then she began to laugh. She through her head back and a happy laugh escaped her lips.
"Oh," she said still laughing "I remember know." She immediately stopped laughing and her voice became colder. "You all are the traitors that tried to kill me and our King." She hissed.
"Your King / If you mind." Zer0 commented. She looked to glare at him. "In my eyes / I never saw him as one to follow / but as one that needed to be put down"
"How dare you speak of our King as if he is an animal!" She growled. "If anything, you are the vermin that need to be purged from this world."
"Your King has killed more people than we ever will in a lifetime / He talks about bring peace when he goes and slaughters cities / because they disagree with him / Some King." Zer0 was upset because they believed they could rule Pandora at the expense of others.
"At least he tries to bring order to Pandora. All you bandits, maniacs, and Vault Hunters made Pandora a cesspit of chaos. We tried to make it so children didn't lose their parents to some maniac with a gun. In order to do that the people that didn't submit had to perish to not cause trouble." The Queen was upset because they couldn't see how they ruined Pandora.
"You truly believe that you get to decide who dies and who lives / You are deluded if you think you are able to control life and bring peace / You don't bring peace you bring war, death, and destruction/ We would never bow to monsters of such magnitude"
The table was flung to the side. A loud booming sound echoed as it hit the metal table hit the floor at the other side if the room. The Queen was looming over them. She was standing over them looking down. Her dark shadow was upon them. Her helmet features were shadowed; her eyes were glowing blue and narrowed. Her glare was more than just a glare. It was a death scare.
"Leave us!" she screamed still looking at her victims. The guards that were in the room left and stood outside. The glass window was darkened to a pitch black.
"So…" her voice was low and threating "you all wouldn't bow to me even if I broke every bone in your body and had you begging for mercy in a pathetic heap. Even if I gouged out your eyes and watched you stumble around like a blind dog. Even if I made you puke up every organ in your body." She leaned in close as she said, "Even if I make you watch everything you love and care for burn in eternal flames you will not bow to me?" Zer0 straighten up and met her stare.
"Never." his one word spoke for all of them. This is the part where they die. All of their other friends and family perished either standing up to The Queen or The King. After a moment, The Queen stepped back to their surprise. She straightened up and looked down at them again. Only this time hate didn't fill her eyes. It was amassment. Her hand began to reach up towards her helmet. There was a 'click' sound as she pulled of her helmet. Her ponytail came undone and her hair fell down. Her hair was extremely long, it curled slightly from being in a ponytail, and the roots of her hair was a deep blue compared to her ends. Her face was a picture of divinity. Her blue eyes were clearly visible and were brighter without her helmet. Her skin was flawless. She wore blue lipstick; the same vibrant color of her eyes. Three blue dots were under her left eye; similar to her tattoos. She put her helmet down on the ground and stepped forward. While August and Teresa stared at her in confusion, Zer0 started at her with disbelief. Right in front of him was a friend he long thought was dead.
"Well, it turns out your still an outstanding warrior you were all that time ago." She smiled.
Maya
The Warrior Siren
"I thought you were dead." Was all Zer0 could say in a low voice.
"Same to you." She sighed. There was silent for a moment.
"Who / won? He said simply. She closed her eyes and said solemnly.
"We won a few days after you were trapped."
That one sentence answered their question. They had lost just after a few days after they were trapped. Teresa tried to hold back her feelings of sadness. August looked down his hands becoming fists. Zer0 continued to look at Maya. She opened her eyes.
"I was wondering when you were going to ask me." Maya gave a gentle smile. The smile was ruined when August stood up and punched Maya in the face. It felt like punching a brick wall. He hissed in pain looking at his hurt hand. Her facial expression wasn't one of pain more like 'did you just hit me?'. Zer0 grabbed August and pulled him down.
"Don't August / I know her" Zer0 told him. August and Teresa's eyes widened.
"What do mean you know her?" August questioned.
"Do you remember when I told you the story of The Vault of the Warrior / and I talked about the / Vault Hunters I was with?" they nodded, "She is the siren I told you about / Maya." He gestured to the Siren. There jaws dropped.
"You said Maya was dead." August said.
"I thought she was dead / Apparently, she isn't" Zer0 answered. Teresa was utterly upset.
"How could you have been friends with her?" she shouted upset. Zer0 cocked his head.
"What do you mean / Teresa?" he asked.
"Did you guys forget what she did? Because of her we lost the war and worst of all she killed Angel and then just walked away as if it was nothing." She looked directly at Maya. Her rage blinded her fear. "How could you do something like that?" Maya's expression was emotionless. They all looked at her for an answer. She closed your eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them again and looked Teresa in the eye.
"Teresa, I know how you think of me. I didn't see any use in fighting back. I didn't see any hope. He made me believe that we could change Pandora by taking the lives of others. I threatened you in the beginning to see if you still believed in what you did all that time ago. I'm sorry I wouldn't have done… all of this if I knew there was still hope left." She got down to Teresa's level.
"And I know how much you cared about Angel. She helped us during The Vault of the Warrior. She guided us through the most dangerous parts of our quest. She was such a good person. When he told me to go out and kill Angel I didn't want to do it… at first."
"Then why…" Teresa had a hard time getting the words out, "Why kill her?"
"Because I saw what she had become. I remember seeing her for the first time after The Vault of the Warrior. She was consumed by war. Her eyes were full of hatred and despise. She was so eager to kill me. I couldn't believe it. I remember her telling me to go to hell. Then I knew I wasn't killing an angel, but a monster of war. I'm sorry that I wasn't there to help her or any of you when you needed it." She stepped back and looked at her sadly.
"After all the terrible things, I've done through the ages she is the one I that I regret." Teresa took what she said into consideration. Did she not see the monster Angel had become? Zer0 was confused by Maya's choice of words.
"Why did you use / the word ages?" he asked. "It has only been two and a half years since we were trapped." Maya looked at him confused. Then she smiled.
"Two and a half years." she chuckled, "Yeah right." They looked at her like she told a joke they didn't get. Her smiled vanished and was replaced with surprise. "Oh, you don't know. In the Vault, it might have felt like two and a half years, but here." She bit her lip and her words with a touch of worry.
"You all were trapped in the Vault two hundred fifty years ago."
